Sharon Township intersection to become a roundabout

A long-planned safety project at a dangerous Sharon Township intersection is moving forward, though motorists will have to wait for a more detailed construction schedule before they know when the intersection will close. The Ohio Department of Transportation recently awarded the contract to convert the intersection of state Route 162 and State Road into a single-lane roundabout. Because the project was only recently awarded, the contractor has not yet held its initial preconstruction meeting with ODOT to establish the detailed construction timeline, according to Crystal Neelon, an ODOT District 3 public information officer. The contractor has from Sept. 8 through Aug. 13, 2027, to complete the project. Specific dates for closing the intersection have not yet been identified. The project consists primarily of safety funding, with $1.5 million in federal funding and $1.7 million in state funding. Of that total, $600,000 is allocated for design development and $700,000 for right-of-way. Construction costs are estimated at $1.6 million. The project will have a minimal impact on the Sharon Nature Preserve, according to Medina County Park District Director Nathan Eppink. The park district will lose about seven-tenths of an acre, mostly at the intersection, and will have to remove its 2-by-4-foot wayfinding sign at the corner. No trails or wetlands will be affected, and visitors are not expected to notice changes once they arrive at the preserve, Eppink said. The roundabout is the latest in a series of efforts to improve safety at the intersection. In 2004, ODOT installed red sign-post reflectors below the stop signs on both approaches of State Road and relocated the stop lines to improve sight distance for drivers. In 2007, ODOT installed an additional stop sign on the left side of both State Road approaches to create dual stop-sign installations. ODOT also removed a tree, bush and other shrubs from the northeast corner to improve sight distance. Additional curve warning and intersection-ahead warning signs, advisory speed plaques and road-name signs were installed in 2013. In 2017, "Cross Traffic Does Not Stop" signs were added beneath all stop signs, and stop lines were repainted in 2019. After reviewing crash data from 2019 through 2021, ODOT applied for safety funding for the roundabout. More than 90 percent of crashes at the intersection during that period were angle crashes caused by motorists on State Road failing to yield or stop before entering or crossing state Route 162, according to ODOT. The intersection ranked No. 51 on ODOT's 2020 list of rural intersections in need of safety improvements. The intersection was the site of a fatal crash on Aug. 18. Two drivers were seriously injured in the collision, including a Wadsworth resident who later died from injuries sustained in the crash. The roundabout is intended to address the types of crashes that have occurred at the intersection by requiring vehicles to slow down and yield before entering the circular intersection. Federal Highway Administration studies cited by ODOT show that roundabouts can reduce crashes by 44 percent and reduce serious injury and fatal crashes by nearly 90 percent compared to two-way stop-controlled intersections. That safety benefit is partly attributed to the number of potential conflict points. A traditional intersection has 32 potential vehicle conflict points, while a roundabout has eight. "We expect to see a reduction in crashes at the intersection after the installation of the roundabout," Neelon said. For now, drivers should not expect an immediate intersection closure. ODOT said the specific closure dates will be established after the contractor's preconstruction meeting. Contact reporter Brooke Adams at (440) 822-8373 or badams@medina-gazette.com.